Winter Park's Political Mingle features straw poll vote

It was an event tailor made for those who savor politics, and as it turns out, more than 350 of them showed up.

But it was also the ideal event for political candidates, who also took advantage of the event to meet and greet prospective voters, and also possible campaign donors.

The Rachel D. Murrah Civic Center was packed on July 23 for the 2014 Winter Park Political Mingle. The lawn of the Civic Center – side, front and back alike – were covered in a virtual rainbow of brightly colored political signs for the candidates.

Presented by Bright House Networks and hosted by the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce, the event enabled the candidates for a host of offices to set up tables inside the auditorium and hand out flyers, brochures and other campaign material to voters, detailing their views, policy positions and backgrounds.

This event also offered the people attending it to vote in a straw poll before the Aug. 26 Florida state primary.

The Chamber released the results of the straw poll the next day. Among the highlights: GOP Gov. Rick Scott took 161 votes, compared to 106 for Charlie Crist, the former Republican governor now running for a second term as a Democrat, and fellow Democrat Nan Rich, who got 20 votes.

In the race for Attorney General, Republican incumbent Pam Bondi took 173 votes in the straw poll, far more than the combined total for either of the Democrats challenging her: George Sheldon (who got 69 votes in the straw poll) and Perry Thurston (32 votes).

Patrick Chapin, president of the Chamber, noted that while the business organization doesn’t endorse candidates, straw polls can be “an important tool for candidates” during a busy campaign season.